On an auspicious Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar extended a warm greeting to the United States President Donald Trump during a formal ceremonial welcome at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar. Paralleling the sentiments of renowned American poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, ‘How do I divulge the Democrats’ infatuation with negative optics?’ remains unchanged. Their horrible frustration caused by Trump only proves to frame them as the grandstand of hopelessness and gloom.
In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the Democrats attempted to brand Trump with Nazi and Hitler labels, yet these descriptive tags hardly resonated with independent voters. Trump secured an impressive win in all seven swing states. The persistent echo of a threat to democracy from the pillars of Congress and traditional media resonates largely as a ‘Chicken Little syndrome’. Regularly spouted, extreme rhetoric eventually becomes noise unless the listener is already inclined to agree.
Worse yet, applying the tags of profound evil such as Hitler and Nazis has depreciated to a mere political catchphrase. Meanwhile, the Trump administration effectively gets on with its objectives; concurrently the Democrats continue their uncertain journey. A display of this was when the nickname ‘Spartacus’ became common after Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing, due to threats to ignore Senate protocols and expose classified information.
This political theatre resulted in numerous puzzlements. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez from New York managed to attract large audiences during their ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour. Irrespective of the fact that a significant number of attendees may struggle to articulate or understand the concept, Sanders and Cortez jet-setted in a $15,000-an-hour private airplane; something notable among those very oligarchs they criticize so vehemently during mass rallies.
In light of their actions, what became of the Green New Deal’s ideal, proposed by the congresswoman, to decrease one’s carbon footprint? In parallel, President Trump maintained his characteristic dominance over the news cycle. Trade agreements are beginning to emerge (as seen with Great Britain) and worries over trade warfare are decreasing (notably, a 90-day de-escalation window with China).
This scenario has enabled financial markets to rebound, nearing record high levels. The anticipated impact on 401(k) accounts turned out to be only a temporary fear. It is essential to note that financial markets fluctuate; they rise and fall, but never in a straight trajectory.
President Trump’s recent journey to the Middle East has been acclaimed as a considerable success, to such an extent that it even garnered positive responses from a few Democrats. Representative Jim Hines of Connecticut extolled Trump for his effectiveness during the visit. Notably, even Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut (known to be less than friendly towards Trump) joined former Obama CIA director Leon Panetta in giving a nod of approval to the trip.
The voyage was hard to criticize. Consider the securing of deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars with nations in the region, the lifting of sanctions on Syria to foster the succes of its new government, potential strides towards a nuclear agreement with Iran, and the direct engagement with Hamas that resulted in the safe return of the last American captive. The fresh motto of this administration has become ‘peace through commerce,’ a clear shift away from nation-building as a foreign policy tool.
This change serves as a reminder of successful post-World War II strategies with Germany and Japan but also underscores the lack of success observed in the 21st century Middle East. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem concludes, ‘I shall but love thee better after death.’ However, this sentiment does not carry over to the current state of the Democratic Party.
A refocusing is necessary to uphold a robust two-party political system. There’s an absolute necessity for Democrats to regain their compass, rallying not merely around messages that vilify their competition but provide a hopeful vision a majority of Americans can rally behind.
A decade ago, few could have imagined the unexpected twists and turns of current political landscapes. However, in the world of politics, one can best be prepared by acknowledging that the realm of possibilities is all-encompassing.
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